This blog is dedicated to Computer RolePlaying Games (CRPG) that have been released a long time ago or new games with CRPG heritage and that I will revisit in one way or another. I will either replay them or write about the hidden gems well worth playing today. Games will be played through Dosbox or WinUAE.

Currently playing: Sword Coast Legends, Skyrim

October 2, 2011

Crystal Dragon - Exploring

I finally managed to solve the order in which the elemental stones should be placed in the nisches. The reason was that I did manage to hear a very faint click sound when placing - what I thought to be - the correct stone in each nisch. It was not easy to observe at first because the moving pit and flying skulls have their own sounds and I cannot stand before the nisch for more than a few seconds before the pit would trap me. Anyway. It is now solved and a new corridor appeared behind a dissolving wall that led to the Rod of Resurrection and the stairs down to what I believe is the real Level 3.

Level # 3

Right at the beginning I stumble down to a place filled with guards and flying skulls. I need to fight my way forward with multiple opponents. For the first time I had to make quick hit and run tactics to take out one opponent at a time. Saving in between.

Apart from the scarce food and water problem (light is now replaced by spells and/or wand of light) you also have to watch out for taking wounds during battle. Wounds degrade your hitpoints and could turn into disease if not treated in time. Disease slowly drains your character of health until he dies. Both requires cures in the form of potions or spells. I don´t want to use up my potions until I have too and I haven´t found any spell yet.

This level contained a good selection of new scrolls (which could be inscribed into your spellbook) such as magic missile, fireball, party shield and not the least cure disease.

I have yet to find good weapons and armour. The spells are pretty weak against the guards which seems almost invincible. There seems to be at least two kind of guards. The "easy" one has perhaps 100 hitpoints and will be killed in around 10 combat rounds. The hard ones seems to regenerate hit points but I am not sure. I met some that I couldn´t even kill after having inflicted perhaps 700 hit points or more. There is no way you could see your opponents health but you do get a flash when they are hit.

You have to lookout for hidden buttons such as this one

The automap works very good but you cannot enter notes

The flying skulls are quite weak but fast to throw fireballs

The Rod of Ressurrection

They know I´m here...

I am at level 3 now. The opposition is quite a challenge but not too hard either. The major problem is the amount of hidden switches, buttons, pressure plates etc that has to be found and - not the least - figuring out what they do. You could easily get stuck if you are not careful in your exploring. That is a major drawback.I have only two saves on a disc and that is too few to have backup saves. I have copied the whole directory as a backup because I don´t know which disc my saves are on

I have read on forums many people saying this game is very good but also one of the hardest in its genre.I never played Dungeon Master seriously so I can only relate this one to Black Crypt and the Eye of the Beholder series. This one seems to be the hardest one because of the huge amounts of small puzzles everywhere.

Crystal Dragon has a certain feel and charm that keeps me moving further and further despite the hard obstacles. I like the game. The spells are well balanced, the combat works ok and you alway want to find the stairs down to go down deeper and deeper. But I am worried about the tedious traps and hidden buttons.

Level # 4

My first new opponoent is introduced....zombies! They are much easier than guards but I haven´t been hit by them so far so I don´t know if they transmitting diseases or poisons. The buttons, preassure plates and moving pit holes continues. At some place I found Tuliens skull which when used brings up the automap and teleport me away a few hexes in random order. I wonder when I would want to use that one.

Ugh...zombies arrives

Inventory of Rennard the Paladin

At level 4 I have a double feeling about the game. I want to play it, I do enjoy it but I hate the pits that moves in certain pattern that you have to memorise to be able to get past. It gets even worse when there is multiple moving pits. If you fall into the pit you are thrown to the dungeon below in which you must find your way out and probably sustain a wound in the fall as well. I don´t think I can endure that pain. I think the next post will decide wether its worth continuing with this or not. After all I am playing for pleasure and my playing time is limited. Hopefully this level is one of the worst....

If you like old-school RPGs, you´ll love this!

Who am I ?

Stockholm, Sweden
I grew up with Commodore 64 and Amiga and the first CRPG that totally blowed me away was Bard´s Tale for C-64 in 1988.
New RPGs tends to be more and more simplistic and consolified so I have begun to return to the roots to feed my hunger for CRPGS.
Professionally I work as a systems developer and project leader.